See this film - At the Death House Door

"At the Death House Door" is an IFC original documentary following Carroll Pickett's 16 year transformation from prison chaplain in Huntsville, Texas to outspoken anti-death penalty crusader. Outstanding example of the power of documentary filmmaking in supporting social justice advocacy.

See this film - The Bridge

Artfully made documentary about San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge as an alluring place for many seeking to end their lives. The film focuses on some of the 24 people who committed suicide in 2004 by jumping from the bridge. There is also a first person account by a young man who managed to survive his attempt. Recommended if you are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of depression, mental illness and suicide. This film is also a solid example of top-notch documentary film-making. Both the music and photography are outstanding.

How I see the Golden Gate Bridge has been forever changed.

See this film - I am Trying to Break Your Heart

With this film, I urge you to see it with this caveat: you must really like Wilco and love their most excellent Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. Otherwise, this is probably not a story you'd find compelling.

See this film - The Hurt Locker

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction,
for war is a drug."

We finally watched this film last night after waiting for weeks to get it from netflix. Still unhappy with how long it took to get this DVD but the film lived up to my high expectations. The Hurt Locker gets my votes for both best picture and best director.

See this film - Crazy Heart

Saw this film last week. It's a good film with an amazing performance by Jeff Bridges. I thought the romance between Bridges's character and Maggie Gyllenhaal's much younger and together character, far-fetched. While that seemingly implausible relationship was at the center of the film, my discomfort was abated by Robert Duvall in a supporting role. I loved the scene of Bridges and Duvall out on a boat drowning worms.

Jeff Bridges will win the Oscar with this performance. (Or else I'll sulk.)

<--- Please take the poll in the side bar. Thanks!

See this film - The Young Victoria

I agree with this reviewer - it's hard to believe Emily Blunt's performance didn't receive an Oscar nomination. Curious.

<--- Please take the poll in the side bar. Thanks!

See this film - 500 Days of Summer

Summer: We've been like Sid and Nancy for months now.
Tom: Summer, Sid stabbed Nancy, seven times with a kitchen knife, I mean we have some disagreements but I hardly think I'm Sid Vicious.
Summer: No I'm Sid.
Tom: Oh, so I'm Nancy...

I'm surprised by how much I liked this film. It's like a mash up of Annie Hall, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Garden State. I'm definitely getting the soundtrack. A strange coincidence...there was a quick reference to Salinger's "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" in this film and today I see that Salinger has died. Also, the lead actress Zooey Deschanel is named after a Salinger character.

See this film - The Cove

Roger Ebert:

"There are many documentaries angry about the human destruction of the planetary peace. This is one of the very best — a certain Oscar nominee. It includes a great many facts about the craven International Whaling Commission and many insights into the mistreatment of dolphins; Simon Hutchins, who has specialized in the subject for the London Telegraph, is especially helpful.

But when all of the facts have been marshaled and the cases made, one element of the film stands out above all, and that is the remorse of Richard O'Barry. He became rich and famous because of the TV series, which popularized and sanitized the image of captive dolphins. He has been trying for 25 years to make amends."

See this film - It Might Get Loud

Loved it!

Indeed, Page is the star turn in It Might Get Loud, a documentary about a meeting between three iconic guitarists of different rock generations: Page, U2’s professorial effects master The Edge and garage-blues primitivist Jack White of The White Stripes. The film traces autobiographical journeys before bringing them together to swap secrets.

If you want a graphic demonstration of Page’s legendary status, try the look of giddy delight that appears on the faces of Edge and White as Page demonstrates the riff to ’Whole Lotta Love’. For a moment, professional reserve collapses into goofy fandom at the foot of the master. [Source: Jimmy Page: Whole Lotta Talent]

See this film - Up in the Air

Crisply edited, terrific performance by George Clooney, a good soundtrack and things to think and talk about afterward.
Five stars.

See this film - Food, Inc

Yes, there are disturbing scenes of how the animals that are commonly consumed in our country are 'processed.' Thankfully, these scenes are not gratuitous. The main point I came away with is that giant corporations have taken over our food supply with a lot of help from our government. Most disturbing is how the various government agencies that are charged with oversight of food production and consumer protection are mostly led by industry insiders, people who have spent years acting as lobbists for food giants. Basically, our elected officials have been bought off by the food giants. The result is that we have a food system that has made tax-subsidized, under-regulated, and unhealthy food the foundation of the American diet. And, this is making us fat and sick.

Although I put off watching this well-made documentary, I'm glad that I watched it now. Why? Because it puts this terrible health insurance bill into greater perspective. Now I see how the government and giant corporation collusion really works. Sure, the bill includes more regulation of health insurance companies but I imagine we'll be less than thrilled with who is put in charge of overseeing the government agencies that are supposed to enforce these new regulations.

When and how are we going to take back our government from control of corporations? Will anyone in Congress and the White House ever have the conviction to put the needs of our country's citizens before the wants of oil, food, military contractors (Boeing, Raytheon, Halliburton), and health insurance corporations?

Roger Ebert's review here.

See this film - Trouble the Water

In the same week, I read Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, I also watched this award-winning documentary Trouble the Water:



Both the book and the film tell the first person stories of people who survived a deadly storm only to discover the aftermath would be even more devastating. Their stories make it painfully clear how much ground we have lost as citizens under the Bush/Cheney administration.

See this film - Encounters at the End of the World

Strangely beautiful and profound.

See this film - Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven

I had fantastic timing today when I got on the treadmill. I watched HBO's newest documentary, Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven. I loved this film from start to finish. Maybe my appreciation of this film has something to do with my very first job as a hostess in a family-owned Italian restaurant. The owners were good people and treated everyone who worked for them as members of their extended family. And, because my husband's father was Italian. It's probably some of these personal factors plus it's a very well-made film. Here's a link to the trailer.

See this film - The Grocer's Son

All I can say is that I wouldn't mind buying my fresh organic eggs from this vendor. Sweet film with a couple amusing French to English translations in the captioning. Four swimmies out of five.

See this film - Frozen River

I love this time of year when the best films are released. Frozen River has been out a while (since August, I think) but I just saw it last night. Another amazing performance by a lead actress. Melissa Leo -- wow!

See this film - Rachel Getting Married

While all the performances were outstanding in this film, I have not seen better acting this year than Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Kym.

See this film - The Namesake

This film is based on Jhumpa Lahiri's first novel "The Namesake." Ms. Lahiri's book of short stories, "Unaccustomed Earth" has made the New York Times Ten Best Books of 2008. Her first book, "The Interpreter of Maladies," also a collection of short stories, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000. I've not yet read any of Lahiri's books but I plan to read "The Interpreter of Maladies" very soon.

See this film - Young @ Heart

The Straight Story - David Lynch

This film is on my top ten list. Probably not the first Lynch film to come to most people's minds but I think it's one of the best made films I've ever seen.